Can conveying and filling machine



a s She'ets-Sheet 1 Nov. 4, 1941. w. c. GRIDLEY ET AL CAN CONVEYING AND FILLING MACHINE Filed June 28, 1959 OGOGGO 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY fawamMa W. C. GRIDLEY ETAL CAN CONVEYING AND FILLING MACHINE Filed June 28, 1939 Nov. 4, 1941.

Nov. 4, 1941. w. c. GRIDLEY ETAL 2,261,548

CAN CONVEYING AND FILLING MACHINE Filed June 28, 1939 s Sheets5heet 5 OOOOOOO INVENTORS JAM/lam C GNU/6y [dwarz/ f/Wagflus aild go Patented Nov. 4, 1941 cNirEo STATES PATENT oFi-ica CAN CONVEYING AND FILLING William C. Gridley and Edward T. Magmls, Oakland, Calli., assignors, by direct and mesne assignments. of one-half to said Grldley and one-half to F. M. Ball & Company, Oakland, Calii'., a corporation of Nevada Application June 28, 1939, Serial No. 281,584

7 Claims.

The invention relates to canning machinery and more particularly to machines for feeding a plurality or train of cans to and past a filling station or trough for filling of the cans with fruit or vegetables or the like to be canned.

An object of the present invention is to provide a can feeding and filling machine which will be compact in construction and arranged with all of the working parts thereof below the plane of an elongated filling trough or table, and within the horizontal confines of the table whereby a battery of persons may be positioned along the table without interference from the operating machinery, and wherein the machine is operative to cause the movement of a continuous line or train of cans along the table with the open tops of the cans positioned most eifeetively for filling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of thc character described in which the cans are fed through the filling table in a position wherein the open tops of the cans will register with an opening in the filling table and thereby during the filling operation, form in effeet a part'of the filling table. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a can feeding and filling machine of the character above which is particularly adapted for the filling of halved peaches into the cans and wherein the can conveying mcchanismis so arranged as to discharge the cans from the mechanism for filling without danger of cutting or bruising portions of the fruit extending above the open tops of the cans.

Ihe invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a can conveying and filling machine with portions of the machine broken away to show underlying parts.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the machine illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-seetional view taken sub- I stantially on the plane of line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one side portion of the machine illustrated in Figure 3. s

Figure 5 is a plan view of a plate carried by one or the can conveyors.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the plate taken substantially on the plane of line 6--6 01' Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line l? of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken at an opposite end of the machine, as indicated by the plane of line 3-8 of Figure 1.

The can feeding and filling machine of the present invention consists briefly of an elongated trough and filling table adapted to receive fruit, vegetables or other material to be canned, and a can conveying mechanism which is operatively associated with the table for continuously moving a line or train of cans along the opposite longitudinal edges of the table and with the open can tops in registration with openings in the filling table for ready movement of the material from the table into the cans. In accordance with the present construction. the can feeding and conveying mechanism is completely disposed under the filling table and within the horizontal confines thereof, so as to enable the positioning of a row of operators along each side of the table for filling of the cans.

With reference more specifically to the accompanying drawings, the machine of the present invention consists of a material trough or table H of elongated form, which is supported in generally horizontal position by a supporting frame made up of a plurality of vertical and horizontal supporting members i2. As will be best seen from Figures 1 and 3, the table is formed with a pair of horizontally spaced longitudinally extending portions l3 and id concave in cross-section, as seen in Figure 3, and which are supported at their inner longitudinal edges l6 and ii on longitudinal angle bars :8 and i9. The opposite longitudinal sides 2i and'22 of the members l3 and M are supported on longitudinal angle bars 23 and 24 and as will be seen in Figure 4, overhang such bars. Spaced outwardly from the longitudinal sides 2 l and 22 are longitudinal side members 26 and 27 which are supported at their inner longitudinal ends 23 and 29 upon channels 3! and 32 supported on upright frame members i2a, Mb. The side members 26 and 21 are preferably beveled upwardly and outwardly so as to define longitudinal side barriers for the table.

A food or material conveyor 33. here in the form of a horizontal endless belt, is positioned centrally and longitudinally of the table and is supported with the upper flight 34 thereof upon the angle bars 18 and QB in overlying position to the inner longitudinal edges i8 and ll of the table members. The beltis here carried upon rollers 38 and 4| at the opposite ends of the machine. A deflector 38 mounted over the top flight of the belt and having a plurality of laterally extending members 81 serves to direct the material from the belt into the opposite side members It and I4 of the table. Any suitable means may be employed for feeding of material onto one end 38 of the belt conveyor for passage to the table.

In accordance with the above described construction, a longitudinal opening or space 40 is left between the edge portions 2| and 28 of the members l3 and 28, and between the edge portions 22 and 29 of the members l4 and 21, and we provide for the movement of a line or train of cans under these open portions with the open top of the can registering with the longitudinal openings in the table, so that operators positioned at opposite sides of the table may move material to be canned from the concave members l3 and I4 laterally across the table and into the cans. This can feeding mechanism is identical on opposite sides of the table and hence a description of the mechanism at one side will suffice for both. The can feeding mechanism here comprises a pair of elongated horizontal endless conveyors 42 and 43 which extend longitudinaily under the table for substantially the full length thereof and which are positioned in vertical alignment, as seen in Figures 3 and 4,

, and contained between the upright member 12b and an adjacent inner upright member l2c. The conveyor 42 consists of an endless chain which is supported at opposite ends of the table on sprockets 44 and 46 and is carried along its upper flight 41 on a guide means 48. This means, as illustrated in Fig. 4, consists of a pair of angle bars 49 and ii between which is mounted a center bar 52 which is supported between the members 49 and 5| by spacers 83 and 54. The upper flight 41 of the chain rides directly on the center bar 52 between the angle members 49 and El. Mounted across the top of the angle members are a pair of elongated plates 56 and 51 which provide a platform or rest for the bottoms 58 of cans 59 fed by the mechanism. The chain 42 is preferably of a common link type and secured to certain'of the links are a plurality of longitudinally spaced can engaging elements 6|. These elements are in the form of lugs and project upwardly from the top flight 41 of the chain and extend through a space 62 defined between the plates 56 and 51 to engage the base portions of the cans to carry the same longitudinally over the plates 56 andil. A pair of side rails 88 and 84 are supported on the angle members 49 and ii in elevated position thereover for guiding the can longitudinally along the guiding means. The lower flight 68 of the conveyor is supported on a roller 18 carried by an intermediate upright frame member II.

The other conveyor 43, as aforementioned, is also mounted between the upright supporting members I22; and I20 and is arranged with the top and bottom flights 88 and 61 respectively above and below the top flight 41 and the bottom flight 68 of the conveyor 42. The conveyor 43 comprises a pair of endless chains, preferably of standard link construction, and which are carried by pairs of sprocket wheels 88, ll, I2 and 13 at opposite ends of the table. The upper fl iihts 86 of the two chains are carried in horitop.

zontal guide means 18 including a longitudinal angle bar 14 at the top of the upright member He and the angle bar 82 aforementioned at the top of the upright member lib. The lower flights 81 of the conveyor are supported by a pair of rollers 18 intermediate the length of the table and which are supported from the intermediate upright frame member 11.

As an important feature of the can feeding mechanism, the conveyor 48 is formed with a plurality of substantially continuous plates II which are carried by the two chains forming the conveyor. The opposite side edge portions 8| and 82 (see Figure 4) of the plates are secured to lugs 88 and 84 carried by the two chains, whereby the plates are positioned horizontally across the opening 40. Preferably, the plate is of somewhat greater horizontal width than the opening 48 so as to underlie the table top portions 22 and 28 and preferably also, the guide means for the upper flight of the conveyor is so related to these table top portions as to cause the plates to lie directlyunder and in olose aroximity to the edge portions of the open- Each of the plates I8 is provided with a central opening 88 therein (see Figures 5 and 6) which is adapted for registration with the open can To facilitate this registration and also to substantially seal the plate at the top of the can, the plate is provided with a depending circular flange 81 surrounding the opening 86 which is adapted to fit directly into the interior of .the can, so as to positively hold the opening and can in alignment and the plate in proper seated position on the can.

In order to properly engage the plates with the cans, the two conveyors are driven in synchronism so that the upper flights of the two conveyors will move in the same direction at an identical speed, whereby the cans and two conveyor flights will move together as a unit. This unitary movement of the cans and conveyor flights is provided for over substantially the full length of the material table and as here shown, between upright frame members lid and He, between which the guide means 48 and I5 for the upper conveyor flights are preferably horizontal and parallel. In this manner, as the conveyor flights approach the parallel part of the guide means, that is an end 88 of the guide means adjacent the upright member l2e, the upper con veyor flight 88 preferably descends towards the end 88 while the lower conveyor flight 41 inclines upwardly as it approaches such end. In this manner the cans are elevated as they pass to the end 88 while the plates are simultaneously lowered and the timing is such that the flanges 81 on the plates drop into the open tops of the cans as the cans and conveyors pass to the end 88 of the guide means. Throughout the full length of the parallel part oi the guide means the plates are held flrmly upon the tops of the cans. At the opposite end 88 of the parallel part of the guide means the upper conveyor flight 88 and the can supporting guide means 48 diverge from each other as seen in Figure 8 of the drawings, so as to simultaneously lower the cans and raise the plates, whereby the plate flanges 81 will be lifted clear of the top of the can and away from any fruit or material protruding from the top of the can. This is particularly important where the machine is used for packing peach halves, for in such case the cans are filled so that ordinarily a peach half will protrude from 2,201,548 the t'op'of the can. In such case, it the cans 59 l and the plates ll are-not simultaneously separated from each other, the flanges will engage and cut or break the surface of the protruding iruit. As will be seen from Figures 2 and 8, the

,upper guide means It is inclined upwardly from the end 89 while the lower guide means 48 extends downwardly from such end. The roller 9! is provided at the end 88 of the guide means 15 for depressing" the upper chain flights to the parallel part of the guide means.

' Any suitable means may be used for feeding cans to the conveyor flight 41, such as the screw means 92 here shown adjacent the end sprocket d6 of the conveyor. Similarly, any suitable means endless conveyor having vertically spaced upper and lower drive and return-sides. can engaging elements carried by said conveyor and projecting upwardly from the upper side thereoiiior engaging the baseportions oi cans mounted on said side, a second elongated horizontal endless conveyor having vertically spaced upper and lower drive and return sides arranged respectively above and below the drive and return sides of may be used for removing the filled cans from the opposite end of the conveyor. As here shown, a discharge chute 93 is provided at the last named end which extends longitudinally, laterally and downwardly from the guide means 48 adjacent the end 89. The cans pass from the guide means 48 onto the adjacent end of the discharge chute and thence pass laterally and downwardly and longitudinally to a discharge conveyor belt 94. During such movement the cans are supported between a pair of guide rails 96 and 91.

Preferably, all of the several moving parts of the machine are connected to a single drive means, such as an electric motor 98, here shown for providing a unitary and synchronous drive ior'the several parts. The motor is here connected by way of a variable speed pulley 99 and belt "H to a master drive wheel I02 carriedon a cross-shaft I03. Sprocket wheels Hi4 carried by this shaft are connected bychains I08 'to sprocket wheels I07 mounted on a second cross-shaft Hi8. Sprocket wheels I09 on the last mentioned shaft are connected by chains HI to sprocket wheels H2 mounted on a cross-shaft H3 which carries the drive sprockets 44 of the conveyor 42. Sprocket wheels lit mounted on means for driving said conveyors at the se speed and said drive sides in the same direction. means for guiding the upper or said drive sides downwardly to one of said ends and upwardly this shaft are connected by chains li8 toa crossshait II? which carries and drives the sprocket wheels H, the latter being operatively connected to sprocket M by a chain for driving the conveyor 82.

- We claim:

1. In a can supporting and feeding mechanism adapted for movement of a train of cans past a filling station for filling with material to be canned, an elongated horizontal endless conveyor having vertically spaced upper and lower drive and return'sides, can engaging elements carried by said conveyor and projecting upwardly from the upper drive side thereof for engaging the base portions of cansmounted on said side, a second elongated horizontal endless conveyor having verticallyspaced upper and lower drive and return sides arranged respectively above and below the drive and return'sides of said first conveyor, the upper drive side of said second con i veyor being substantially parallel to the drive side of said first conveyor and being spaced therefrom by substantially the height of cans to be supported and moved by the mechanism, a plurality of plates carried by said second conveyor and each adapted to engage the open top of a can and being formed with an opening therein for registration with the interior of the can, and means for driving said conveyors in synchronism.

2; In a can supporting and feeding mechanism adapted for movement of a train of cans past a filling station for filling of said cans with material to be canned, an elongated horizontal away. from the other of said ends in the direction of movement 01 said side, means for guiding the lower of said drive sides upwardly to said first end in the direction of travel of said side. can

engaging elements carried bysaid first conveyor and projecting upwardly from the lower of said drive sides for engagement with the base of said cans, and a plurality of plates carried by said second conveyor and each adapted to engage the top of a can and being provided with anopening therein for registration with the interior of the can.

3. A can conveying and filling machine comprising, an elongated trough for material to be canned, an elongated horizontal endless conveyor parallel to a longitudinal edge of said trough and positioned with the upper and lower flights thereof below said last mentioned trough edge, can engaging elements carried by said conveyor and extending upwardly from the upper flight thereof for engagement with the base of cans rested thereon, another elongated endless conveyor positioned in substantially vertical alignment to said first conveyor and arranged with the upper and lower flights thereof respectively above and below the upper and lower flights of said first conveyor, the upper flight of said second conveyor being substantially contiguous with said trough edge, and plates carried by said second conveyor and formed with openings adapted to register i tially parallel to the opposite longitudinal edge of said trough and positioned with the upper and lower flights thereof below said last mentioned trough edge, can engaging elements carried by said conveyor and extending upwardly from the upper flight thereof for engagement with the base of cans rested theron. another elongated endless conveyor positioned in substantially vertical alignment to said first conveyor and arranged with the upper and lower flights thereof respectively above and below the upper and lower flights of said first conveyor, the upper flight of said second conveyor being substantially contiguous with, said second named trough edge. and plates carried by said second conveyor and formed with openings adapted to register with the.

said first conveyor to facilitate movement of material from said trough across said plates and into said cans.

5. A can supporting and feeding mechanism adapted for movement of a train of cans past a filling station, comprising, a pair of horizontally disposed endless conveyors having vertically opposed sides movable horizontally in a common direction and adapted to receive a can in upright position therebetween, means for driving said conveyors at the same speed, can engaging elements projecting upwardly from the lower of said sides for engagement with said cans. a plurality of plates carried by the upper of said sides each adapted to directly engage the top of a can and being provided with an opening therein for registration with the interior of the can, means for supporting said sides in parallel relation for the greater part of their length between a pair of longitudinally spaced ends. means for guiding said upper side downwardly to one of said ends and upwardly and away from the other of said ends in the direction of movement of said side. means forguiding the lower of said sides upwardly to said first end in the direction of travel of said side, means for feeding cans onto the lower of said sides at a portion thereof in advance of said first end whereby the can will be raised to said first end while said plates are being lowered to said end, a can discharge chute extending laterally and downwardly from the second end of said lower side whereby the parting of each can from its engaged plate will be effected by a lowering of the can and a raising of the plate so as to clear the sides of the plate opening from material projecting from the top of the can, and a conveyor at the discharge end of said chute for removing said cans.

6. A can supporting and feeding mechanism adapted for movement of a train of cans past a filling station, comprising, a pair of horizontally disposed endless conveyors having vertically opposed sides movable horizontally in a common direction and adapted to receive a can in upright position therebetween, means for driving said conveyors at the same speed, can engaging elements projecting upwardly from the lower of said sdes for engagement with said cans, a plurality of plates carried by the upper of said sides each adapted to directly engage the top or a can and of movement of said side whereby said conveyor sides converge over a commonportion of their longitudinal length approaching said can entering end and said can will be raised by said lower side in approaching said end while said plates are simultaneously lowered while approaching said end, means for guiding said upper conveyor side upwardly away from said can discharging endin the direction of movement of said conveyor side, and means for guiding said lower conveyor side downwardly and away from said can discharging end in the direction of movement of said conveyor side whereby said conveyor sides diverge away from said can discharging end over a common longitudinal portion of their length wherein the parting of each can from its engaged plate will be effected by a lowering of the can and a raising of the plate so as to clear the sides of the plate opening from material projecting from the top of the can.

7. A can supporting and feeding mechanism adapted for movementof a train of cans past a filling station, comprising, a pair of horizontally disposed endless conveyors having vertically opposed sides movable horizontally in a common direction and adapted to receive a can in upright position therebetween. means for driving said conveyors at the same speed, can engaging elements projecting upwardly from the lower of said sides for engagement with said cans, a plurality of plates carried by the upper of said sides each adapted to directly engage the top of a can and being provided with an opening therein for registration with the interior of the can and formed with a depending flange surrounding the opening adapted to fit into the interior of the can, means for supporting said sides in parallel relation for the greater part of their length bebeing provided with an opening therein for registration with the interior of the can, means for supporting said sides in parallel relation for the greater part of their length between a pair of longitudinally spaced can entering and can dis tween a pair of longitudinally spaced can entering and can discharging ends, supporting and guiding means for said conveyor sides in advance of said can entering end providing the converging of said sides to said end over a common portion of the length of said sides whereby cans will be raised to said end While said plates are simultaneously being lowered to said end for engagement and centering of said plates on said cans as the same move to said end, and support and guide means for said conveyor sides beyond said can discharging end causing said sides to diverge from said end over a common longitudinal portion'of the length of said sides whereby the parting of each can from its engaged plate will be effected by a simultaneous lowering of the can and a raising of the plate so as to clear said flange from said can interior without interference with material projecting from the top of the can.

WILLIAM C. GRIDLEY EDWARD T. MAGNUS. 

